Mills Nutrients are made in the Dutch tradition of a two-part base, plus additives that offer your cannabis plants synthetic and organic sources to maximize yield, flavor and aroma. A pioneer of bio-mineral plant nutrients, Mills has spent years of testing in a variety of mediums – soil, coco-coir and hydroponic systems – along with different environments to provide the appropriate nutritional elements for any chosen growing method.
Each Mills Nutrients Product and When to Use Each
- Basis A&B: A two-part base, used in equal parts all the way through the growth cycle: veg and flower. Compatible with all mediums and growing systems.
- Start-R: An organic additive, used primarily in veg and into the first two weeks of flower. This product has a highly available form of nitrogen, designed to promote root growth, lateral branching and vigorous vegetative growth. Includes all 17 essential amino acids.
- C4: Another organic additive used after the first two weeks of flower. C4 features a blend of micro and macro nutrients, trace minerals, 17 essential amino acids and some carbohydrates. Designed to give you some explosion in that mid-flower phase, this product promises better yields and increased oil production. Use in weeks two through six.
- Ultimate PK: An additive designed to give you denser, larger flowers, while pushing aroma and flavor while inducing ripening. Use Ultimate PK in the last two-to-four weeks, before the flush.
- Vitalize: An organic additive formulated to increase plant vigor and the number of node sites while strengthening your plant to protect it throughout the entire veg and bloom cycles. Use Vitalize from the moment the roots pop until the end of flower. Dosage decreases towards the end.
Mills is the most cost-effective nutrient line on the market today. While you’ll pay a few dollars more per bottle than average nutrients, you’ll only deal with six bottles. The additives are highly concentrated, so you’ll most likely never go over 4 milliliters (ml) on Start-R, 8ml on the C4 and 12ml on Ultimate PK. Vitalize is half a milliliter per gallon up until the 4th or so week of flower, then it drops to 0.25 ml per gallon. The two-part base, however, will steadily increase until the end – so keep this in mind.
Naturally Chelated Products Make a Difference
Chelation is the process of breaking down minerals. Therefore, a product that is naturally chelated has organic compounds (like amino acids) that naturally occur in the earth and are breaking down the minerals to their smallest form for better plant uptake. There are also catalyst products that break down minerals for the plant. Mills Nutrients products are already naturally chelated, making these nutrients very available to your cannabis plants.
How Does Mills Help Deficiencies?
It is important to remember that using Mills will not magically “cure” a deficiency. However, if you use Mills from the beginning you are less likely to get deficiencies. Coco fiber naturally leaches the calcium and magnesium from the fertilizer. With Mills, the calcium and magnesium are perfectly balanced in the Basis A&B. Therefore, increasing the two-part base to accommodate for the calcium and magnesium being leached by a coco medium is the best way to counteract any loss.
Many growers who use Mills products also use Royal Gold, the original coco soil company, based out of Humboldt County. Royal Gold does all of their own rinsing and pH buffering, and also perform a calcium and magnesium inoculation on all their coco before it is made into their coco blends. Be careful not to use a product like Cal-Mag, which will counteract the carefully formulated chemistry of Mills products. Because Mills Nutrients are designed to maintain all enzymes and microbiology, products like Cal-Mag will kill off all your beneficial microbes – defeating the purpose of using a product that sustains microbes.
The Importance of Silica and a Product Like Vitalize
All plants, including cannabis are tougher and more resistant to mold and pests when they have silica in them. How it works is this: Once silica is taken up into the plant, it creates silica bodies. These infill cell walls and create a stronger, more durable plant that can handle heavier weight, elements like wind and rain, and are also more resistant to heat and drought stress. Silica also offers “crop insurance” or a cheap way to make sure your crop is as healthy as it can be.
Mills’ Vitalize is a unique product that is actually a mono-silicic acid – the simplest form of silica. It was not an easy process to figure out how to stabilize mono-silicic acid, and then bottle it up into a solution. But Mills figured it out. And, Vitalize is a highly concentrated formula, so you don’t need much to go far. Because of its high pH, be sure to mix Vitalize first when adding to your nutrients (if you shock your nutrients with a high pH solution, it can lock out your micronutrients and lead to future deficiencies).
If you’re ready to give Mills Nutrients line a try, contact the Garden Rebels team. We’ll help you understand what kind of volume you need to maximize your cannabis yield and grow a healthy, thriving crop.